Surgical apparatus



y 0,1965 R. c. BEACHAM 3,195,758

SURGICAL APPARATUS Filed New B. 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. [El--5- 05597 C BfACHAM BY g a HIS ATTORNEYS July 20, 1965 R. c. BEAHAM 3, ,7

SURGICAL APPARATUS Filed Nov. 12, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. ROBERT C. BEACHAM I5 ATTORNE Y5 United States Patent 3,15,758 SURGICAL APPARATUS Robert C. Beaeharn, El Qerrito, Galifi, assignor to Qutter Laborator'es, Inc, a corporation of Delaware Filed Nov. 12, 1963, Set. N 0. 322,763 1 Claim. (Cl. 2rs 1uo This invention relates to an improved bail band and particularly to the provision of such a band about a glass container filled with a parenteral solution or the like.

It has been a common practice heretofore to use a band including a tongue portion at one end, the tongue being inserted through a hole provided in the other end of the band, the tongue then being crimped over to secure the band in place about the container. This type of joint is difiicult to achieve with the desired degree of security. For example, it is relati 'ely easy to strike the crimped over end of the bail hand against an object and so loosen the hold of the interlocked ends with the result that the band is loosened and slips from the container. Since these containers are normally suspended upon a support above or adjacent a patient to whom the solution is dispensed, the undesirability of such band loosening should be readily apparent.

The suspension of the container from the band is achieved by providing a wire bail having its ends fitted through apertures on opposite sides of the band. Here again, loosening and displacement is likely in that the crimped over end of the bail can become disconnected from the band about the container, again with disastrous results.

An object of the present invention is to provide a bail band which may be secured upon a bottle with the ends of the band united in a sturdy arrangement which prevents disengagement even under an accidental blow or because of engagement with some foreign object which otherwise would disrupt the type of band joint employed heretofore.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a bail band joint of extremely simple construction which may be depended upon to hold the bail band firmly in position even under adverse shipping and handling conditions.

Another object is to provide a bail band joint that permits easy and speedy assembly, especially when such assembly is performed by a machine operation.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a bail band joint structure occupying a minimum of space, the joint being formed by a simple crimping operation requiring a minimum of time.

A still further object is to provide a connection between a bail and a band such that the bail cannot be accidentally disengaged from the band.

A still further object is to provide a connection between a bail and a band such that the bail can be moved into a position wherein it can be employed to suspend the container and this by utilizing only one hand.

The invention includes other objects and features of advantage, some of which, together with the foregoing will appear hereinafter wherein the present preferred embodiment of the invention are disclosed.

In the drawing accompanying and forming a part hereof:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view illustrating a bail and band construction embodying the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a section taken along the lines 22 and illustrating the connection between the bail and the band.

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of the connection shown in FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a section taken along the lines 4-4 in FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is a plan view of one of the preferred form of band employed.

FIGURE 6 is a section taken along the lines 6-6 of FIGURE 1 illustrating the connection made in the band ends.

FIGURE 7 is a plan view of another form of band.

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged view showing the connection between the ends of the band in FIGURE 7.

FIGURE 9 is an end view of the bail employed in a device embodying the present invention.

FIGURE 10 is a plan view illustrating a modified form of a band.

FIGURES l1 and- 12 are respectively sections taken on the lines 11-11 and 12-42 of FIGURE 10.

FIGURE 13 is a plan view of another modified form of band.

FIGURES 14 and 15 are respectively sections taken along the lines 14-44% and 15-15 of FIGURE 13.

Referring to the drawings in FIGURE 1 I have shown a typical parenteral solution container 6 comprising a glass bottle having a neck 7 carrying a suitable closure 8. At its lower end the bottle includes a pair of spaced shoulders 9 and II. In the specific structure shown, the glass bottle 6 is so molded as to provide a recess in the bottle between the shoulders 9 and 11, the recess being of such a width as to receive snugly the bail band 12 between the shoulders 9 and 11.

In the form of band shown in FIGURES 1, 5 and 6 the band includes a rectangular recess 14 at one end thereof while at its other end it includes a tongue 16. Adjacent to the tongue and provided in the body of the band is a second rectangular recess 17. To assemble the band securely in position about the bottle and between the shoulders 9 and Ill, the tongue to is passed beneath the underside of the band and then outwardly through the aperture 14, the band being made up snugly about the container. The projecting tongue 16 is then bent at upon itself as at 18 in FIGURE 6, the end of the tongue then being carried forwardly and inserted through aperture 17 until the end of the tongue fits on the underside of the band and against the container proper. This construction can be readily achieved in a machine assembly. In addition, it will be noted that the end 16 cannot be engaged and dislodged by a foreign object except by the most deliberate and forceful manipulations. Thus, the likelihood of the band becoming accidentally loosened or released is obviated.

In FIGURES 7 and 8 I have shown another form of band which is of somewhat similar construction as that described in connection with FIGURES l, 5 and 6. In this embodiment, band 3]; is provided with a rectangular aperture 32 at end 37. At its other end 38 it includes a tongue 33 of such size that the tongue passes readily through the rectangular aperture 32 in the end 37 of the band. In assembling this band in position, the band is provided between the shoulders 9 and 11 and is made up snugly with the tongue 33 inserted through the aperture 32 from the underside of the band. The projecting end of the tongue is then bent back upon itself as at 34 with the end 36 of the tongue 33 fitting between the projecting end 37 of the band and end 33 carrying the tongue 33 as appears in section in FIGURE 8.

With respect to the bail construction as appears in FIGURES 1-4, bail 41 is mounted so that it can be swung from a position in which it rests alongside the container 6 to a position in which it extends across the end of the container in position to support the container, To achieve this, band 12 is provided with two spherical projections or bosses 42 spaced 180 apart when the band is assembled on a container. Each projection or boss includes a hole 4-3 through which an end of the bail can be inserted. In accordance with this invention, each projection 42 includes 2% a groove 44 extending longitudinally of the bail and away from the other groove.

Each end of the bail is bent upon itself to provide an end 46 which extends at 90 to the major plane containing the bail, each end 46 being bent into a V-shape as shown in FIGURE 9. The angle between the extreme end portion 47 and a plane normal to the major axis of the bail, as indicated by line 4%48, is preferably made as small as is possible to ensure that the likelihood of displacement of the bail from connection with the band is held to a minimum. 7

To assemble the bail in the band shown in FIGURE 5, the band is bent upon itself until that portion of the band between the bosses has a substantially cylindrical shape. In this position, the bosses are spaced 180 apart and the grooves 44 extend in the same direction. The ends 46 on the bail are then advanced toward the band in a position in which the ends 46 extend parallel to and fit within the grooves 44. In this position each end 46 enters readily through a hole 43 and passes into the boss 42 and is confined therein. The joining of the band ends is then complete. Any movement of the bail from the position in which the bail is inserted in the band results in such a relation of the ends 46 to the apertures 43 that release of the ends 46 cannot occur and the bail is secured tightly in position uponthe band. Retention of the bail in engagement with the band is ensured by the close confinement provided by'the' bottle as is shown in FIGURE 2 for each of the ends 47 is held against the bottle and is frictionally engaged therewith. This engagement makes it possible to move the bail from a position in which it rests along a side of the container during shipment and storage to that position which is over the end of the container as shown in FIGURE 1 by a simple manipulation. Thus, an operator need merely grasp the container in one hand and engage the end of the bail with a fixed object to move the bail into the position in which it appears in FIGURE 1 and in which position it is retained by the frictional engagement between the end of the bail and the container proper. If it is desired to ensure the retention of the ends of the bail in the bosses d2, this can be achieved by returning each boss to its original form by removing the notches or grooves 44 after the ball is in place on the band.

The ease of insertion of the ends 46 through the holes 43 in the spherical projections 42 is facilitated if, in addition to the inwardly extending grooves 44, outwardly extending grooves 51 are provided as appears in FIG- URES 10 and 11.

In FIGURES 13, 14 and 15 there is shown another modified form of the bail receiving receptacle inwhich the boss 56 is in the form of an annulus, one side of which is flattened as at 57 to provide an entrance groove for an end of the bail 41. The annular boss 56 provides added retention of a bail end so that its displacement is much more difficult.

A further problem encountered in placement of the band aboutthe container is that when the band is placed about the container it is initially in planar form and must be bent upon itself until it provides a complete enclosure for the circular groove in the bottle. To facilitate bending of the band into such a circular form, I preferably provide an aperture 61 midway between the ends of the band as is shown in FIGURE 12. Also, to facilitate this bending, inwardly extending grooves 62 are provided on each side .of the aperture 61 (FIGURE 12) along the run of the band, these further facilitating bending of the band. This construction I have found desirable irrespective of whether the band is' placed about the container by machine or by hand.

The inwardly extending grooves provided about the edges of the aperture 61 also assist in retaining the band in position on a mandrel or jig if one be used in forming and placing the band on the bottle. While the aperture 61 has been shown of a circular form this is the preferred form but other forms can be used or one can provide a notch in a side ofthe'band to achieve the same end.

From the foregoing, I believe it will be apparent that I have provided a novel, simple and improved band which is of relatively simple construction but which nevertheless can be provided about a solution container in such a fashion that it cannot be dislodged.

I claim:

In a parenteral solution bottle having a groove about its bottom end for'reception of a bail supporting band, the improvement comprising a metal band having a first rectangular aperture at a first end, a projecting tongue .at a second end, the tongue being in erted through said aperture and bent upon itself through 180 to project beyond the first band, the end of the tongue being in turn bent again upon itself and inserted between the first band end and the second hand end.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,299,914 *4/19 Chadwick 215-100 2,372,182 3/45 Barr 215-100 2,949,203 8/60 Berg 1 215- 100 FRANKLIN T. GARRETT, Primary Examiner. 

